


Overexposure

by KaiserinAstraia



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Happy Ending, KHMoM Spoilers, M/M, Minor Body Horror, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Pining, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, the whole cast of kh shows up so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserinAstraia/pseuds/KaiserinAstraia
Summary: I want to line the pieces up… yours and mine.Hidden in the darkness of Sora’s heart, painful memories lie in wait. Sora promised to carry them until he remembered them all, but someone would claim them for their own ends.Hidden in the darkness of Riku’s heart, painful feelings lie in wait. Riku promised to protect Sora, no matter the cost, but can he protect Sora from himself?
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 90





	Overexposure

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I am terrified and over the _moon_ to write a chaptered fic again. Here's to hoping I can finish it before the next major Kingdom Hearts game is released!
> 
> Big, BIG thank you to my dear friend @Fireborn for beta-ing and encouraging me. Also big thank you to my friend Tuc Tuc for putting up with my ravings over this fic for the past 3 months. I wouldn't still be writing without you guys.

## Prologue - A Scattered Dream…

Riku tried not having expectations for the fateful day he reached the finish line and finally found Sora, but… he felt euphoric and devastated all at once upon seeing him, encased in an icy crystal. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach where it faltered before pounding hard and fast; it choked him, like the cold air solidified into ice in his lungs, sending an unpleasant shiver down his spine. 

“Sora!” Riku exclaimed. He barely felt the concrete and latticed steel on the roof of the skyscraper below his boots as he ran forward. The wind whipped Riku’s hair against his face, like shards of Blizzaga scraping his cheeks. The air was colder than any dream — it was cold like a morgue’s freezer room. 

His lungs still ached with each breath. The cold air seeped through Riku’s clothes and settled heavily in his bones as the reality set in, the sight of Sora cruelly familiar to the time he slept in the white lotus pod. The closer he got, the more the memory clouded his mind _(please, wake up, I haven’t forgotten you, I need you back, please—)_ , and before he could think better of it, he reached out to touch… 

“You can’t touch him.” A doppelganger stepped between Riku and Sora.

“What?” Riku snarled, tearing his gaze away from Sora’s obscured face below the glass-like encasement. The man bore a striking resemblance to himself, but Riku had seen himself in various iterations often enough to notice that it _wasn’t_ a copy, as he’d initially thought. No, the man had a red and blue eye; his face was a little thinner and longer. He stood just shorter than Riku by a couple of inches and his physique was slimmer.

But Riku didn’t care who he was. It didn’t matter _who_ stood between him and Sora, he’d tear them down. In a flash of light, he summoned Braveheart and assumed a battle stance, ready for anything. 

The man uncrossed his arms and bent his knees, but didn’t summon weapons — not yet. Riku realized he was panting and swaying slightly with the wind. Something was _wrong_ with the man, yet he smiled as he struggled to stand up straight. “Sora… I’ll save you… I’ll protect you…” 

Riku grit his teeth against the apprehension and repugnance that swirled and settled heavily in his stomach at the man’s words. It was then he smelled it — the sweet yet musty and rank smell of Darkness. It wafted off the man in waves familiar and strong enough that Riku knew he was struggling to keep hold of his heart. 

Adjusting his grip on Braveheart, Riku made no move to attack. Though the words rang hollow, he said, “Using the Darkness like that… Sora wouldn’t want you to go that far for him.” 

The man took a step forward and outstretched a hand to his side. Much like a Keyblade, weapons materialized in his hands — a crossbow in one hand, and a sword in the other, both black metal with menacing, glowing red sections. 

“Ha!” he laughed, “You of all people know that it never mattered what _he_ thought was too far.”

Was this really not another Riku? Riku paused, looking over the man again; he felt _familiar_ , like looking into a funhouse mirror: the shapes all wrong, but the underlying makeup the same. He had gotten so used to seeing shades of himself from the past, but this one felt like an averted future. And yet, the Darkness that came off of him didn’t feel like Riku’s at all — it was so much more _angry_ and _bloodthirsty_ that it made Riku’s throat tight. In fact, for a moment, it reminded Riku of the moment Sora was soaked in black and red while they fought in the Keyblade Graveyard. Riku had seen Sora angry before, many times, but nothing like then.

The animosity in the air reached a fever pitch and Riku’s battle instincts brought him from his thoughts just in time. The man surged forward with eerie speed, poised to strike, but Riku blocked the hit. “Who are you?!” Riku spat past the effort of holding ground.

“Yozora. I’d ask for your name, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t lose.”

So diplomacy was off the table; that was fine by Riku. He smirked and shoved Yozora back. “We’ll see about that,” he replied and steeled himself for the fight.

It turned out, that single second to brace himself was the only moment he got; Yozora was _fast_. In a flash of red, he teleported away before taking a shot with his crossbow. Thank god his and Sora’s fight with Xemnas prepared him for this. Riku blocked and spied another flash of red; Yozora was hovering in the air, aiming again.

To interrupt the attack, Riku shot a Dark Firaga at him. The ball of dark flame met its target, and yet Yozora seemed completely unphased. Knowing Yozora could strike any moment, Riku decided to activate Dark Divide, focusing on various points on Yozora, hoping at least one would be a weakness. 

The orbs of darkness shot out and again met their mark, but this time, the Darkness was _absorbed_ by the man. Was he… immune to Darkness attacks? Riku thought that even a single drop more meant the man would lose his heart, but he stayed in the air, glowing red.

The mistake cost Riku, as Yozora shot straight into Riku’s shoulder. It burned enough for Riku to gasp, and to add insult to injury, that single moment was all it took for Yozora to charge at him and slash Riku’s side with his sword. Ugh, it was his bad side, too — Riku knew he’d be feeling that for days, even after a good Curaga.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Riku dodged away in a flash of Darkness. Yozora was caught up in his combo, which afforded Riku enough time to Cure. As the green magic washed over him, the ache in his shoulder ebbed; his side still pulsed in pain, but Riku could handle that. 

The breather also gave Riku a moment to think: many of his attacks were laced with Darkness, but clearly that wouldn’t help him in this fight. However, over the past year, Fairy Godmother and Mickey had taught him how to hone his feelings into many Light-based attacks. If Yozora had resistance to Darkness, perhaps Light was his weakness.

Yozora had returned to the air, hovering as he aimed. There was no reason to draw out this song and dance. Smirking at his opponent, Riku pulled one of his many tricks from his sleeve. With a breath, he cleared his mind and touched his heart — though he wasn’t dreaming, with his dream link he was able to call a trusted friend: Komory Bat. 

He felt his Dream Eater mark fill with light across his back and wings sprouted painlessly from each of his shoulder blades. A shockwave of Light burst out from the transformation, stunning Yozora. This was his chance! Riku rose to Yozora’s height in the air and charged, slashing with his keyblade in one hand and with clawed hands on the other. Much like his Sonic Blade, he used magic to keep his energy and attack power high, dashing back and forth several times.

It was only the fact that once Riku began the attack, he couldn’t stop, that kept him in the fight, because as soon as his blade met Yozora, Darkness clouded his eyes and memories flooded his mind, so vivid they felt like visions. 

One: Terror and panic as Sora reached for Riku’s hand, but missed. Riku watched himself sink into the Darkness as Destiny Islands fell apart all around them.

Two: Riku watched his younger self toss a wooden sword at Sora on the floating rocks of Hollow Bastion, his smirk cruel. Sora’s throat closed around unshed tears as he looked to Donald and Goofy who left him there on the ground. The feeling of abandonment was so overwhelming Sora struggled to breathe. 

Three: A memory Riku himself did not have — Ansem, possessing Riku’s body, taunting Sora and then cornering him into a fight. Sora’s confusion and outrage — concern and determination — at and for Riku. The feelings made shame settle into his heart, even though he had been long at peace with this part of his past.

Before another memory could take over his senses, Riku forced his sight past the Darkness. His teeth were grit so hard his jaw hurt from the effort, but the pain served to keep him in the present. The dashing attack finished its fourth and fifth slashes practically on their own as Riku coughed past the suffocating atmosphere and strained to sharpen his mind again. 

There was little reprieve to do so, for Yozora disappeared after the move finished, but the Darkness seemed to go with him. Riku knew Komory Bat’s strength would leave him soon, and so he whirled around to find his opponent again. The cocky man simply stood casually in the center of their arena, and Riku tsk’d in annoyance. 

He dove down to attack again, but Yozora was ready. Yozora parried Riku and disappeared before Riku could try to turn it into a combo. As soon as Riku found and attacked again, Yozora broke through and landed a hit. God, and he hit _hard_ , too — Riku would have to Cure again at the first opportunity. Really, he needed to stun Yozora again but— 

Just then, Komory Bat’s power surged, and Riku knew exactly what his companion intended. 

Riku’s wings expanded in size, bigger and bigger until their breadth covered the diameter of the building. The neon pink, yellow, and blue light emanating from them rivaled the advertisement signs, and Riku couldn’t help but laugh in exhilaration. It didn’t matter _where_ Yozora was, now. The wings pulled back and then flapped forward full force, sending a gust of wind so strong the rain flew with it. He heard Yozora cry out in surprise, and caught sight of him tumbling across the metal grates. 

“Thank you,” Riku told his Dream Eater companion and relished in the curative magic that blanketed him as Komory Bat left. 

Once Riku landed, Riku resumed his battle-stance, eying Yozora warily. Yozora heaved for breath inches away from the edge of the building, kneeling on the ground. When Yozora didn’t stand, Riku backed off but kept himself between the man and Sora. 

“What did you do to Sora?” Riku demanded. He lifted Braveheart again threateningly, but Yozora shook his head. Starting from his fingertips pressed into the ground, Yozora began to glow and dissipate in small orbs of light.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Yozora panted. Still, the defeat was evident in his tone.

“Yes, I do. _I_ will be the one to save Sora,” Riku replied. “No matter what.” 

Their eyes met, and Riku found his own strong resolve staring back. But Yozora was right about one thing: it didn’t matter what Sora thought was going too far, because Riku made an oath he’d rather die than break.

“This isn’t over,” Yozora promised roughly as the light engulfed him. He disappeared with the light tossed into the wind. Then it was just Riku, the silent metropolis, the cold wind, and Sora encased in ice.

When the smell of Darkness completely dissipated, and Riku felt that there was truly no one else around, he dismissed Braveheart and took several deep breaths. 

If he were honest with himself… he’d acknowledge he spent a lot of time avoiding thoughts about the past — about the year Sora slept, about their first adventure as enemies, about the Keyblade Graveyard. Whether it was the Darkness that emanated from Yozora, or simply Riku’s heart’s inner feelings bubbling to the surface, the memories threatened to overwhelm him. Though he was technically the victor in the fight, reliving those memories in Sora’s view ached in his chest like he’d been stabbed.

Sora was the one pulling off miracles like it was nothing, not Riku. Could someone like Riku really save Sora?

But he had to try. Gathering his courage — counting down from ten — he turned. Despite himself, he gasped at Sora’s icy yet serene expression under the cold crystal. Sora was… beautiful, in the worst way. His face was expressionless, long eyelashes resting delicately on his cheeks and skin clear and clean. The ice gave Sora a bluish tint, artful yet horrifying in how it drained Sora of all the warmth he held. Though the sight hurt, Riku couldn’t look away.

It reminded Riku of the fairy tales he read as a child, but those stories gave triumph to princes and princesses. You knew that everything would be alright in the end, because true love always won. They did nothing to prepare Riku for the reality of such a situation — witnessing your precious person in a death-like sleep. 

The fairy tales didn’t describe how death looked at all.

Riku swallowed back tears. He refused to accept that reality; a reality where Sora was gone — _dead_. He _believed_ in Sora, and believed Sora could be saved. That was his conviction, and though he may not know _how_ , Riku would find the way.

He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and touching the surface of the ice, like he could cup Sora’s face. God, the crystal was so cold it burned to the touch, but Riku hardly noticed as he stared into Sora’s face, _regretting_ every moment Sora had called, texted, and talked to him, and Riku hadn’t told him so many things that he should have… 

But he barely finished the thought before Light burst out from under his hands and into the crystal prison. It was so bright, Riku winced, but the sight was so brilliant he couldn’t look away — the ice, it cracked loud and fresh water filled the seams, flowing down onto the ground. He gasped as the first locks of Sora’s hair emerged from the dissipating cold, instantly waving in the wind. 

“R—ku…” The word left Sora’s lips like it had been frozen there, and Sora fell forward, eyes fluttering when the last of the crystal left. Panic and instinct taking over, Riku grabbed Sora’s shoulder to catch him. 

“Sora?” 

Sora tilted his head to the side towards Riku but didn’t speak. He stumbled forward a step before falling to his knees. Alarmed, Riku kneeled before lifting him up, but this time he held Sora not unlike when Sora carried Riku after their fight with Xemnas. 

“Can you wal—” 

A great rumbling began below their feet, and the building began to shake. Riku’s gaze darted to their surroundings, and he gasped in horror — the skyscrapers were collapsing. The _world_ was collapsing! 

But this was Quadratum — what did it become when _it_ collapsed? Nothing? Riku didn’t want to wait and find out. 

Sora still didn’t even have his eyes fully open, oblivious to the destruction around him, so Riku lifted him fully. Though it was a boon that Sora was so light, it only added to Riku’s sense of dread — but there was no time to think about it. The building was tilting, and the concrete under Riku’s feet was already crumbling. He didn’t know where to go, but he ran, holding Sora tight against his chest. 

Using Flow Motion, he flung himself from rooftop to crumbling rooftop, choosing by likelihood of stability alone. By fate or coincidence, the city’s collapse led Riku to where he always began upon waking here in his dreams. He knew the intersection like the back of his hand, the way the stoplights looked almost blue when they should be green. 

But this was a dead end. Riku ran down each road from the intersection only to narrowly avoid being crushed by falling concrete, metal piping, and debris. Each time he back-tracked, the intersection was smaller and the buildings shorter. It felt like reality itself was closing in on them. 

There _had_ to be a way to escape — the portal Riku had used to enter was gone, but perhaps one could be summoned, or maybe there was a trick to it? Quadratum was in the “unreality” as Ansem the Wise had coined — separate from the real world, but connected in the same way a coin has two sides. Riku had assumed that he would find a door or something to the Final World, having come here through the nameless star girl’s dreams, but conveniences like that never seemed to happen for Riku.

Frankly, Riku didn’t know _what_ to do. Use a Dark Portal? Dream dive? But to _where_? He didn’t really understand how it all connected. Still, perhaps if he came through dreams, he should leave through them, too. To be honest, he didn’t know much about the nameless star, which made it difficult to find a connection — but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He held his breath as he adjusted his grip on Sora so he could summon Braveheart and activate the Power of Waking. He tried to focus on the Final World, since that’s where the nameless star was. With the ground under him now shaking, it was difficult to think of anything but “ _out_ ”, but he remembered the rush of exhilaration and _relief_ he felt when the portal to Quadratum appeared; the nameless star and Riku’s wishes resonating with each other to make the impossible possible again. 

To his relief, a pink orb covered in spikes did appear, albeit unstable. Riku knew he could only hold it open for a few moments. He gave another look down at Sora, whose expression was distorted in a feverish-like pain. 

“Hold on, Sora,” Riku prayed, out of breath, and then activated the portal.

* * *

When Riku opened his eyes, he stared into the slumbering face of Sora.

“Sora!” The relief was so strong that Riku felt breathless, heart instantly racing like he’d been running a marathon.

His outburst woke Sora, whose eyes fluttered open. “Riku…?” His eyes were a murky blue, and his skin still pale. Riku could only watch with bated breath, irrationally anxious that Sora could disappear like a ghost at any moment.

“Are you okay?” Riku asked, and Sora propped himself up to sitting, looking around.

Riku did the same. Thank god, they’d made it to the Final World. A blue but cloudy sky stretched on in infinity all around him, reflected off the surface of the water that served as a floor. Their movements sent ripples out but didn’t get either of them wet. Just as Riku remembered this world, it was pretty, but eerily quiet. However, there were no glittering stars in sight, either.

“I… think so,” Sora replied before grunting as he stood. Sora’s fist clenched over his chest. He couldn’t meet Riku’s gaze when he said, “You weren’t supposed to find me.”

“I—” Riku stopped himself and swallowed thickly. He’d almost forgotten that Sora probably expected another savior — the one who he’d exchanged paopus with the night before their battle against Xehanort, their mutual friend who Riku _should_ be happy for — and the pain at remembering hurt worse than Yozora’s crossbow had. 

Riku was as surprised as everyone when the task of saving Sora fell on his shoulders. When Kairi asked to go with him to Quadratum, he even _wanted_ her to come, but without the Power of Waking, she couldn’t. There was also the thought that Sora disappeared _for_ Kairi — if Kairi got hurt while trying to find him, Sora would be devastated.

So really, Riku justified, as much as Riku took pride in that only he could do this for Sora, he was also the most expendable one to try and possibly fail.

Riku couldn’t find the words to reply, so he simply stood, too. Wonderfully and horribly, Sora had to continue to lean on Riku for stability; it did nothing to help calm the storm in Riku’s head. 

Sora still felt cold. He felt so… _off_ from the Sora Riku knew so well. Riku hadn’t expected Sora to leap into his arms with joy like he had after their Master’s exam, but he had thought Sora would be more… glad? Animated? Though Riku’s logic said Sora was probably just tired and wasn’t feeling well, he still felt a little rejected.

“I know this place,” Sora said as he gazed about. 

Riku did what he did best, and shoved the ache in his heart down. After all, they weren’t in the clear yet, Riku reminded himself. He had to focus on the mission.

“Yeah? Do you know how to get out?” Riku asked — he was glad that his voice was level, normal.

“I don’t… remember, somehow,” Sora said, face scrunched up in concentration. He shook his head, then forced a smile. “But, hey, it’s not the first time we’ve gotten stuck somewhere! Let’s just pick a direction!” 

Riku frowned. Anyone could see Sora was exhausted — but leave it to Sora to try and remain cheery till the end. Riku tilted his head. “What does your heart say?” Riku asked, hoping the familiar directive would cheer Sora, even if only a little.

“Let’s follow yours.” 

That earned Sora another glance. Sora was looking to the side, and so Riku couldn’t see his expression. “Err… okay,” Riku replied. 

He looked around again, searching for the nameless star or any other star, but alas. It really was just them this time.

Closing his eyes, Riku tried to concentrate again. Fairy Godmother had taught him about emptying his mind so that he could hear his heart; it was instrumental to finding Sora. But now that Sora was found, Riku wasn’t sure what there was for his heart to say… 

Still, though fainter than even a whisper, Riku heard a familiar melody: Sora’s Sound Idea. Strangely, it was darker, muddier than Riku remembered. A different key, perhaps? It was different enough that Riku paused; is this what they should follow? 

Well, it was either that or picking a random direction… 

Riku opened his eyes, his heart holding onto that harrowing song for direction. “This way.”

Sora nodded, and they walked forward in silence.

* * *

Though they walked on and on, the sky stayed ever the same. There was no way to tell the passage of time except that Riku grew concerned that Sora wouldn’t have energy to continue before long. 

Thankfully, the melody Riku heard only grew louder and easier to follow, but the longer Riku listened, the more he wondered what the source could be. Sora was right next to him, and yet Riku couldn’t hear his heart like he could back when he’d searched for Sora. So, whose heart produced this call? Why was it so alike to Sora’s? 

“Riku!” 

Finally, the silence was broken. Riku looked around.

“What is it?” Sora asked.

“You don’t hear that?” 

“Sora! Riku! It’s me!” 

This time, much to his relief, Riku saw her; Kairi waved to them in the distance. She was a spec of red-pink, but Riku knew her voice anywhere. She wasn’t in the direction of the song they had been following, but a familiar face trumped Riku’s song-compass. 

Riku turned them. “It’s Kairi,” Riku told Sora, smiling.

“Kairi? Where?” Sora looked back and forth, staring out over the horizon, but strangely, his eyes never lit up in recognition. Eventually, he turned back to Riku, puzzled.

“Come on, this way,” Riku directed, eying Sora with concern. Could he not see or hear her? 

Riku quickened their joint pace over to their friend. Kairi took a few steps forward and then stood on her tiptoes to wave them over, but didn’t meet them in the middle. The reason became clear as they approached; a huge chasm separated them. The water they walked on flowed eerily calm off each side into nothing but blackness. Looking left and right, the chasm went on infinitely in each direction. With no way to go around, the only way to get across was to jump. 

“Sora!” Kairi cried out in relief. “I knew you’d be okay!” 

Riku looked to Sora, expecting his normal warm response. But instead he looked blankly ahead, not even trying to smile.

“Sora…?” Kairi asked again. She waved her hand where Sora would be able to see it, but got no reaction.

“You can’t see her?” Riku asked Sora, brows knit together in concern.

Sora looked up at him. “...No? I just see the mirror.” 

Riku blinked. “What mirror?”

In a rare show of frustration, Sora gestured in front of him emphatically. “Right in front of us. It’s a mirror.” 

“Sora…” 

Riku looked to Kairi, meeting her worried gaze. He spoke equally to her as to Sora when he replied, “I see a huge ...split, thing. On the other side is Kairi.” Kairi nodded back, confirming that’s what she saw, as well.

To that, Sora simply frowned. “Oh.” He bit his lip.

The ensuing silence was… suffocating and awkward, so Riku asked the first question that he could think of. “How did you get here?”

Kairi replied, shifting her stare from Sora to Riku. “This is my dream — I still have it most nights. I always come sit at the edge here.” 

Kairi was _sleeping_? Suddenly, an idea came to Riku as he stared at the strange chasm. “Sora, we need to jump across.”

“Huh?”

“Kairi is dreaming, so her side is in the Sleeping Realm. I can pull us up to the Realm of Light through her dream. Probably.” 

“Probably?” Kairi said with concern.  
  


“Probably is good enough for me,” Sora commented at the same time.

Riku looked at Kairi apologetically; Riku’s mind was made up, this was their only option. He looked back down at Sora. “Sora, you jump first. I’ll be right behind you.”

Kairi nodded, and lined herself up with Sora, to catch Sora after the jump.

Sora nodded and smiled tiredly, but then said, “No problem — but, uh, how far should I jump?”

That broke the ice, a little. Kairi and Riku chuckled. “Hmm… it’s a couple meters? Totally doable for you, though,” Riku replied confidently. 

Sora gave him a thumbs up. Without further ado, he backed up a few steps and rocked on his feet to prepare for the sprint. Kairi reached out over the chasm, but because Sora couldn’t see her, he leapt right past her after his jump. 

“Oh, right,” Kairi said sheepishly, taking a step back. Still, Riku let out a sigh of relief that Sora had had the strength to jump at all.

Sora turned towards Riku with his hands behind his head, smiling. “Piece of ca—”

But then, Riku watched in horror as Sora’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

“Sora!?” Kairi and Riku cried at the same time.

Riku leapt over without a second thought, the air eerily fluttery like the turning of a book page around him. He paid it no mind, however, and joined Kairi’s side, kneeled next to Sora. 

“Wh-what do we do?” Kairi asked, voice high in panic. 

Riku’s brain was churning thoughts almost too fast to process, but he still had the plan from before. “I’m going to dive us back up through your dream; I’ve dived out of dreams before so it should be okay. Stay here until both of us are gone, then wake up.”

“O-okay,” Kairi agreed, nodding quickly.

Riku picked up Sora again, stood, and closed his eyes, focusing on his promise: to protect the people that matter. To protect who he loves. To protect Sora. The Power of Waking came to his call again with ease, a radiant light that warmed his heart. It spread outward from head to toe, and much like flying, there was a rush as he felt the dream send them out.

He prayed twice as hard that they’d wake up home this time.

* * *

Riku wasn’t sure what to expect when he awoke; would he be in the Land of Departure, having come out of Kairi’s dream? Or would he go to another Final World, where the nameless star was? 

But as usual, Riku didn’t get either. Instead he awoke sitting leaned against a big tree, the bark imprinted on his cheek from resting against it so long. It was late afternoon, the setting sunlight filtering through the tree leaves. The sky was strikingly similar to Twilight Town, but the expanse of grass and trees — curiously outlined in thin black lines like a drawing — told him this wasn’t the town that never slept. 

Wiping his mouth of drool, he stood. There could be only one place this could be: the 100 Acre Wood storybook. How did he get here? His memories before waking were fuzzy… but there was an anxiety in his chest that was unmistakable. He was looking for Sora. 

Well, Winnie the Pooh and Sora were friends, so that was the best lead Riku could think of. Luckily there was a well-trodden gravel path leading out from the trees, so Riku followed it, eyes open for a home-turned-tree. 

He spotted Pooh down the way, humming and eating honey on the tree log outside his home. 

Pooh was turned away and couldn’t see him, but Riku asked, “Hey, Pooh… err, have you seen Sora?” 

Strangely, Pooh didn’t turn to face him. “Sora? Why, I haven’t! I meant to go to the honey tree but I got rumblies and decided to have a small smackerel of honey.”

Riku shook his head — Pooh never changed. “Well, do you know where he could be?”

Pooh chuckled like it was obvious. “At the honey tree of course, where he always is!”

_Where he always is…?_ Riku blinked incredulously, but at least he had a location, now. “Well, okay thanks, Pooh.” 

Riku always found Pooh’s world a little… off-putting. This world was smaller than even the islands, and it felt suffocatingly empty. It wasn’t that the world wasn’t _good_ ; Light practically emanated off every blade of grass here. Pooh and his friends were the same way. Yet, there was something about them and here that made Riku feel very out of place. 

He felt that especially now, as he walked back toward the trees. Ah — the cool breeze jogged his memory; he remembered the Abyss, and Kairi, and diving. He had no idea why Sora would have ended up here after they dived to the Realm of Light. But considering all the strange and inexplicable things that had happened to him since leaving Destiny Islands, Riku had learned not to think about it too hard. He made his way to the tree, the path thankfully simple and clear of Heartless, as always.

Though there hadn’t been any changes to this world up till now, the honey tree was remarkably altered. The trunk was three times as thick, and its once-thin branches were thick and lush with leaves. The buzzing of bees was unsettlingly loud, too. 

All that besides, he didn’t see Sora. He spied up the trunk, eyes sharp for a flash of red or a rustle of leaves. There was none he could see, so Riku sighed in resignation and hopped up to the first branch. If Sora _were_ here, he was probably getting honey — either for Pooh, or for a recipe for Little Chef. Remembering the picture Sora sent him of a batch of honey gingersnap cookies he made sent a pang of hurt through his chest — god, that was over a year ago, huh? 

He shook his head. _Just climb, Riku._

He leapt up another few branches, and finally found a hole in the trunk, ovular and large. It had to be where the honeycomb was. But strangely, there was _still_ no Sora. 

He looked around, but there was only an eerily quiet and empty beehive hanging at the end of the branch Riku sat on. Hmm… Well, hadn’t Sora shrunk in Toy Box? Could he have transformed here, or something? 

Feeling a little silly, Riku turned back to the hole and peered in. 

But what he saw there turned his blood to ice.

Sora _was_ there, but full-size. Riku could only see from his shoulders up because he was _inside_ the tree. Worse, he was _submerged_ in the honey — some of it had hardened into what looked like amber glass. Somehow he’d been here so long that the honeycomb had been built around him, creeping up the sides of his neck and face, but the _shape_ — instead of hexagons, they were stars. 

“Sora?!” Riku called, horrified. He darted his eyes all over the space, trying to see if there was an exit of some sort, or would he have to cut this tree down? God, how did he even get here? Where were the bees? Why were the honeycombs _that_ shape? What the _hell_ was going on? 

“Riku,” Sora spoke, his voice dreamy and calm. Riku looked back and had to grip the trunk of the tree lest he fall out of it from what he saw. 

Sora’s eyes fluttered open, but they glowed yellow and cried honey. Honey dripped off his eyelashes and down his cheeks — the viscosity of the liquid mimicking tears but not… quite. What did it remind him of? 

Oh god. It looked like blood. 

“Riku… we should just stay.” 

And suddenly, Riku woke up with a scream clawing up his throat.

* * *

His eyes opened to a much more welcome sight: the Restoration Committee HQ. Someone had laid a blanket over him while he slept on the couch, a remainder from when he’d stayed here to dig through Cid’s computer. It had practically become his second home to the Mysterious Tower — or at least, the closest to a home he could have. Even Pooh’s storybook was where he left it on the coffee table after borrowing it from Merlin. It was opened to the map-page, like he’d just left the world.

Just the book’s presence made his heart hammer in his chest anew from his nightmare; he shut the book like it’d bite him if he touched it too long. He took several long breaths, trying to shake away the image of that awful honeycomb—

“Ah, you’re awake!”

Startled, Riku twisted towards the voice; Aerith was sitting at Merlin’s table, arranging the flowers that would be put into the vase at the center.

The familiar sight made reality hit him like a truck: he was awake. He was in the Realm of Light.

Riku flung the blanket off of himself and stood, panic rising in his throat. “Sora, where’s Sora?” 

Aerith put down the flowers and scissors. “He’s with Ansem the Wise and Ienzo,” she said gently.

That’s all he needed to know. He headed to the door without even a sparing glance to his attire or anything, but right before he turned the doorknob, Aerith stopped him. 

“Just… he hasn’t woken up yet.” Her expression was one of sympathy and concern. Before he could reply, she handed him a yellow lily. “Keep believing.”

It was enough for him to pause, turning the lily over in his hands. It was a little embarrassing that his emotions were so transparent. Riku muttered, “Of course, thank you.” 

Between the thought of seeing Sora, the lily in his hand, and Aerith’s words of encouragement, Riku didn’t see a single thing as he headed to the lab. He didn’t even really think of a particular path or room; he instinctively made a beeline for Ienzo and Even’s lab.

There was no one in the entrance or foyer, but once he entered the lab proper, he spotted Kairi’s red hair. She was turned away from him, sitting in a chair pulled up to the hospital-type bed with her head bowed. She held the hand of the person sleeping there. Riku couldn’t yet bring himself to look closer.

When the door clicked closed behind him, Kairi startled. “Oh thank god, you’re here!”

Riku nodded, but couldn’t think past _Sora._ “He… he hasn’t woken up?”

Kairi shook her head, lip wobbling as she explained, “No — After I woke up, Sora was asleep on the floor next to me, so Master Aqua brought us here. Ienzo went to run some tests, we’re just waiting…” 

Riku couldn’t speak, lest his anxiety and frustration overwhelm him. It was all he could do but pace at the rate of his thoughts: what if Riku had messed up? What if Sora never woke up this time? What if Yozora had done something to him that couldn’t be fixed?

Kairi seemed equally lost for words, and sat completely still in her chair, hands clenched in her lap.

The air in the room felt cold, sterile, and crisp; perhaps it was just Riku’s panic, but it was difficult to breathe. Maybe he should have had something to eat or drink before coming, because a pulsing pain was forming in his head. 

It didn’t help that Riku couldn’t resist glancing towards Sora, sleeping like the dead — breath barely perceptible by the rise and fall of the white sheet that covered him up to this chest. He was still sickly pale, complexion clear and smooth like he was a porcelain doll instead of human. It made Riku nauseous.

The silence was heavy — and though it wasn’t fair to Kairi, Riku couldn’t help but feel like he was all alone again, searching for Sora with only Mickey a close enough friend to confide in. Several minutes passed before Ienzo, Mickey, and Ansem the Wise came in and both of them turned toward the door with tense expressions.

“Oh good, Riku, you’re here!” Mickey said, his cheery voice a welcome relief from the suspense lingering in the room.

Riku nodded to his friend, all pretense of composure flying out the window. “What did you find?” 

Ienzo and Ansem the Wise looked at each other grimly, and Mickey sent Riku a concerned glance. Riku’s stomach curled in worry.

Thankfully, Ienzo cut to the point. “Sora… his heart has been shattered, somehow. The only pieces left are Light.”

Kairi’s chair loudly skidded across the linoleum ground when she leapt to her feet, hand fisted protectively over her chest. “What— what do you mean, _shattered_?” 

Ansem the Wise shook his head. “This is not a result we’ve ever produced before in our experiments before… The heart was always more susceptible to breaking due to Darkness, and producing a Heartless or Nobody. But Sora, somehow, has his body and soul still here, but only Light fragments of his heart remain inside him.”

“No…” Kairi whispered. Tears silently welled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

Riku swallowed, trying not to let the despair show on his face. He heard what Ansem the Wise had said echo in his head in a horrible round. Shattered… _Broken_ … Riku’s headache was joined with a sudden light-headedness. It was hard to speak, but he managed to ask, “What… what do we need to do?” No sooner had the words left him did he feel like he could throw up, but he managed to stand still.

Mickey chimed in, “We need more information... We’re going to contact Naminé in Twilight Town to see if she can see anything, consider her memory pow—” 

Suddenly, Riku’s vision blurred violently and darkened. His whole body felt drained of energy, his chest empty. It was like he was floating, unable to feel his feet on the floor, nor the weight of gravity on him.

“Riku!” Mickey called, but Riku couldn’t even speak before everything faded to black. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry to leave you all on a cliff-hanger but it's _necessary_ , I promise!
> 
> If you liked this chapter, leave a kudos and/or comment? o3o I'm so so SO curious to know what you all think. I don't have a set upload schedule (who can, in this awful year/time?) but I'm going to aim for once a month at least.
> 
> As always, I'm on Twitter @KaiserinAstraia, cackling madly about soriku endgame actually. Thanks for reading! <3


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